Unhinged Man Assaults Fareed Campaign Canvasser

College student attacked while encouraging neighbors to vote

SANTA BARBARA, CA — The divisive, partisan mood in our country has grown to a fever pitch over the last few months, and unfortunately, the rancor recently resulted in political violence along the Central Coast. Recently, while canvassing neighborhoods for the Justin Fareed for Congress campaign, a young college student named Isaac was physically assaulted, chased and showered with obscenities for simply sharing literature and encouraging a man to get out and vote.

In the last few weeks, Democrat leaders have ratcheted up calls for violence, taking the political climate to a new low. Former Attorney General Eric Holder recently enflamed the rhetoric by inciting activists by saying, “When they go low, we kick!” Representative Maxine Waters called for people who encounter Republicans to “push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome.” Senator Corey Booker even called on activists to “get up in the face” of elected officials who they disagree with.

The GOP has expressed their concern for this in a new ad, and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, himself a victim of political violence, has strongly condemned this sort of behavior, calling it a “direct threat to our democracy.”

After learning of the assault on his campaign canvasser, Fareed said, “As a society, we often express concern that Millennials aren’t involved enough in our civic process and aren’t informed about the issues. Isaac took the time to study the issues and become involved. It’s sad and discouraging that this is the response he gets for his efforts.”

Fareed continued, saying, “We cannot resolve the serious issues facing our country if we allow bitterness and violence to take hold. Politics must not ever overshadow basic human decency or incite such viciousness. This type of behavior will never be acceptable to me, regardless of which side of the political spectrum it comes from. I call on Salud Carbajal to join me in renouncing those who call for or incite acts of violence in our country, our state and particularly our own district.”

Justin Fareed is a candidate for California’s 24th Congressional District. He is President of a local small business, Pro Band Sports Industries, and a third-generation cattle rancher. Justin is a graduate of UCLA and has worked for a senior member of Congress; handling various matters pertaining to foreign relations, small business, agriculture, drafting and coordinating the movement of legislation, and building bi-partisan consensus on Capitol Hill.